The meaning of the word poke has never been defined:

Facebook is an online social network service[1] connecting Internet users from the age of 13 and above. Facebook users can send messages, pictures and videos to ‘friends’ and can participate in groups, allowing social circles to interact in a much easier way online. Facebook in my mind is both the most useful tool on the Internet and the largest waste of time.

Mark Zuckerburg and his college roommates at Harvard launched ‘The Facebook’ in February 2004. Although Controversy surrounded the initial opening as shown in the movie ‘The social Network’ where the ideas for Facebook were apparently stolen form Harvard Seniors, who were under the impression Zuckerburg was making ‘The Harvard Connection’ website for them, instead eventually accusing him of using their ideas to create a competing product.

In 2013 57% of all Americans and 73% of those aged 12 to 17 used Facebook; these numbers are only increasing, with 64% of people visiting Facebook on a daily basis, up from 51% from 2010[2]. Facebook’s popularity is only rising and more users are signing up from all over the world everyday. A clear indicator of Facebook’s size is that in accounts for 1 in every 11 visits to the Internet and 1 in 5 page views, a staggering amount only beaten by the search engine Google. [3]

Facebook is changing rapidly to accommodate the vast numbers, and in the past few years the alterations to the initial home screen and the way the users interact has left Facebook looking vastly different from its first conception and most noticeably since the ‘timeline’ was introduced in 2011. However, not all the changes Facebook has gone through are seen as beneficial for the user, with ‘sponsored links’ now appearing on every page on the site. Targeting advertising is ideal for business’ to find specific markets for their adverts and it is this unique quality that has seen Facebook’s worth and funding skyrocket. Facebook has uncovered a method of observing users activity and interests, which is then sold as a service for companies who want an effective marketing campaign, with only interested groups of people seeing the adverts. This is just one example of how Facebook is becoming a truly successful information system distributing a product that no one else can produce, but where many are willing to buy and sell.[4]